I had the same experience with NDX 2 and 555 PS DR. The XPS DR was a very good improvement on the bare NDX 2, but the 555 just gave quite a bit more of everything. When we first demoed the 555 PS DR at home, my wife, knowing the cost, put her head in her hands and wailed, “Noooo! Take it back!” Yes, it’s expensive, but we both decided it’s worth it.
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The CD555 PS was a huge upgrade over the XPS on my CDS3. They seem to be available used in the US.
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In a NDX 2 an XPS DR is much bigger than a 555. Enough said - The management.
Years ago I added an XPSDR to my 272 and enjoyed the uplift in sound quality. Later, I swapped the XPS with a 555PSDR, and my jaw dropped when I heard the massive uplift (to my ears at least), compared to the previous PS. So much so that now that I’ve gone full NC (222 & 350), I kept my 555 as I figured why should I spend money for the 300PS which at best will be equivalent?
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Love the nDac XpsDr combo and run an nd5xs2 through it (no need for an NDX2)…I run a Hegel Viking through the same combo…outstanding and the best I’ve ever heard cds (my old Cdx2 died about 6 months ago RIP 
)
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If you have the NDX2/XPSDR combo , no need for the nDAC 
ha !!
I have the nDAC , I find the dac in the NDX2 just a tad better than the nDAC - not by much though I must admit
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I recently went through this with a 272. I wanted it to be like the OP, where the XPS DR gave most of the improvement and the 555DR was diminishing returns.
Except it was the opposite, as voiced by many here on this forum. The XPS DR was subtle upgrade, while the 555DR was much better, what I was looking for.
Here in Australia the XPS DR was $8500 retail, and 2nd hand (recent under 5 year old) unit is about $3000 (1500 pounds).
At that 2nd hand price I felt the XPS DR was only JUST worth it. At retail price it would be a waste of money IMO. Way too overpriced for the subtle uplift.
Onto the 555 DR, retail here is $15,000 and recent 2nd hand units are $6000-7000 (3500 pounds). For me the 555DR at that used price was a worthwhile upgrade. And its hard to put your finger on what the 555DR does better. My friend Dan calls it palpable and organic. That’s fairly accurate.
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This is an exciting thread. Many thanks to @IanO for explaining the difference between XPS and 555 on the NDac. I initially had the ND5XS2 bare. Based on numerous recommendations in the forum, I bought a used NDac, which made a huge difference (better sound stage, more detail, warmer sound). The ND5XS2 sounds thin in comparison. A year ago, after a dealer demo, I bought an Olive XPS (freshly recapped and recalibrated) for a reasonable price (1.2k). The sound of the NDac is even smoother and more detailed. The dealer also said that ‘DR’ was not necessarily an advantage for the NDac. In any case, I am very happy with it. So far, I have only replaced the classic Brundy cable of the NDac with a Burndy SXPS (small improvement in sound). If I can get a used Powerline, I will try it on the olive XPS. On the other hand, after the numerous votes in the forum, I am very tempted to buy a 555PS instead of the Olive XPS. I recently saw a (now very rare) 555PS Non-DR for 3.2k on a Swiss sales platform. However, it is already 15 years old and recapping would cost another 1,8k. I decided against it. 5k seemed too expensive as an upgrade for a 14-year-old NDac. In terms of overall value (including the residual value of the NDac), alternatives (such as a used Cord Dave or Aqua La Scala) are soon within reach.
It would be great if Naim would offer a separat high-end DAC again. Separating the streamer and DAC has advantages. Technological developments in DACs are not as fast as in streamers, so investing in a high-end DAC makes sense in the long run. But that’s probably not realistic in the near future.
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Believe it or not a Powerline is also worthwhile on the nDAC itself, as the onboard regulators supply the digital section.
But for the investment involved we are talking very marginal improvements.
A Chord Dave sounds fantastic, but nothing like your nDAC 
….almost polar opposite presentation.
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Thanks for the tip. When I get the chance, I’ll be happy to try out the Powerline on the XPS and NDac too.
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